When Whetstone Gorse owner Martin Kind decided to enlarge an existing pool at the side of his farmhouse in 1987 to make it a feature of his garden, little did he realise it would lead to him developing a fishery that offers pleasure, match and specimen carp angling where the emphasis is on informality.

Although Martin initially developed Whetstone Gorse on two sites - Phase One near his farmhouse and Phase Two a short drive down the road from the main site - he sold the farming business two years ago and the new owners closed Phase One to angling. Since then all the fish in Phase One have been removed leaving Martin to concentrate on improving the two Phase Two pools.

These were developed in 2000 with the emphasis firmly placed on working hand in hand with nature. A keen conservationist, all of Martin's work on the fishery has been done to provide quality fishing in an increasingly natural environment with the welfare of his fish and local wildlife a prime consideration.

The result is two attractive lakes which offer a variety of fishing with few rules except that the maximum hook size is Size 10 and that boilies, jokers, bloodworm, nuts and beans should not be used as bait. Keep-nets are allowed on the mixed pool and fish over 3lbs must be returned to the water immediately. Anglers using keepnets on the mixed pool should empty them at 12 noon and 4.00pm to ensure the fish do not become stressed.

2018 angling ticket costs and opening times

Adults

Junior/OAP/Disabled

Day Ticket(6.00am - dusk)

£8.00 (max two rods)

£5.00 (add £1.00 for second rod)

Evening Ticket(after 5.00pm)

£3.00 (add £1.00 for second rod)

£3.00 (add £1.00 for second rod)

OAP and Disabled membership

Not applicable

£80.00 (runs from May to end April each year)

Anglers should start fishing - day ticket fees will be collected on the bankAnglers under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.Keepnets are charged at an additional £1.00 but must be emptied every four hours.

Match Fees - Per Peg

£7.00

Match Fees - Whole Pool occupancy

£6.00 per peg

Telephone 0116 277 3796 to book matches.

Phase Two - Mixed Fish Lake

Despite its name, Mixed Fish Lake is the water where the larger carp are to be found with fish to over 20lbs but is so named because it is also where the largest number of fish species are stocked - Carp and Mixed Fish Lake being home predominantly to smaller carp and fewer fish species.

The water on the right as you enter the car park, Mixed Fish Lake is oval in shape with a central island running down the spine giving 30 metres of water between the bank and the island. To preserve the natural feel of this water, the pegs have been spaced 10 metres apart which provides plenty of room for both pleasure and match anglers.

Built with sides which slope at 45 degrees to an average depth of six feet and then back up at 45 degrees to the island, one of the main features of Mixed Fish Lake is that it saw the addition four years ago of some 200 young barbel which now top the 3lb mark and are caught regularly and proving a hit with anglers.

Those who fish this lake say they love the barbel because they give a really good account of themselves. Most of the barbel fall to baits of meat or pellets.

Mixed Fish Lake is also popular with carp anglers because they can target the common and mirror carp which average 5lbs to 6lbs in weight but run to over 20lbs with plenty of double figure fish. There are also plenty of crucian carp to about 1lb, tench to 2lbs, perch to about 1lb and a good head of roach and rudd which average 8oz but run to 1lb.

Mixed Fish Lake is a good match water which fishes evenly whichever peg you draw. It is shallowest at the lily ends of the island and every peg has at least six feet of water in front of it.

As it to be expected it is worth fishing the track between the bank and the island but fishing in the margins and close to the island are also very effective, leading to average match catches of about 40lbs although currently the four-hour match record stands at just over 80lbs.

Once again the best baits tend to be small pieces of meat, sweetcorn, soft hooker pellets, paste, bread and casters and maggots, although as with Specimen Carp Pool prawns and mussels are also good for the larger carp.

Phase Two - Carp and Mixed Fish Lake

The Carp and Silver Fish water at Whetstone Gorse is kidney shaped and again has a central island along its spine giving anglers a feature to fish towards.

With 16 metres of water between the bank and the island, the sides are again cut at 45 degrees to a six feet deep central track before rising again at 45 degrees to the island. At each end of the island there is a two feet deep ledge which is planted with reeds.

Naturally it pays to fish to this ledge as the fish tend to hold up around the reeds, so fishing either on top of it where there are no reeds or down the slope and at the bottom of the slope can give great results.

However, anglers should note that if they are fishing near the top of the slop or on the ledge hooked fish immediately bolt for the cover of the reeds so anglers need to fish heavier tackle and turn them quickly into open water after as soon as they strike.

Most anglers fishing Carp and Mixed Fish Lake go after the common and mirror carp, the main fish species in the water, which average 8lbs with plenty of low doubles between 10lbs and 12lbs.

Like the Mixed Fish Lake there are also a good head of crucian carp - again to around 1lb - and some ghost carp, although these are not as big as the commons or mirrors at around the 6lbs mark with a smattering of bigger fish.

The silver fish species are largely made up of rudd and roach, both of which run to 1lb, and perch to about 8oz.

One of the features of the rudd is that they are in pristine condition and a delight to catch. They also help to bump up match weights with the current match record again standing at about 80lbs.

When fishing Carp and Mixed Fish Lake it pays to fish to the island or in the margins whilst in the winter months the carp always tend to hang out where there are bullrushes.

As with Mixed Fish Lake, best baits tend to be meat, sweetcorn, paste, pellets and bread with prawns and mussels again good for the bigger carp.

Visit Whetstone Gorse on the Net

Whetstone Gorse has a well designed website where information and photographs plus a full list of the angling rules can be found at www.whetstonegorse.co.uk.

How to get there...

Whetstone Gorse is a short drive from the Leicester end of the M69 motorway. On leaving the motorway take the A5460 signposted Fosse Park, Leicester and then branch left and at the roundabout take the first exit onto the A563 signposted Ring Road, Leicester South and East. At the Fosse Park Junction continue forward on the A563 and at the Soar Valley Way traffic lights turn right onto the A426 following the signs for Rugby. Go over the next four roundabouts, staying on the A426, and then at the staggered crossroads turn left into Countesthorpe Road. After 200 yards turn right into Hill Lane and then right into Willoughby Road. A short way down here you will see the entrance to Phase Two on the left along Willoughby Lane.

Click on the map to the right for more detail. Whetstone Gorse is shown as Claybrooke Mill.